Concern hit her features hard enough it almost startled me. Her brows drew together while she rubbed a hand against her mouth like she didn’t know how to start.
“I just…” She exhaled shakily. “Calix, I’m…”
I waited patiently, knowing she would get it out eventually because she and I never kept anything from each other. Nothing.
“What if… something happens to her?” The words started coming faster after that. “What if she isn’t strong enough?” Her jaw tightened. She’s a turned, Calix! She’s not as strong as you or Rack. She’s…”Weak.
She didn’t say the last word aloud, but I heard it anyway.
Ezra had seen me break once already. Seen what losing Valentina did to me. She trusted Rack to keep me stable because she genuinely believed if I shattered again, I might not recover from it next time. As the person in the head seat, she had to think of these things.
A quiet laugh slipped out of me before I could stop it. Her head jerked upward immediately, and I saw the first hints of confusion.
“You know,” I said gently, “Iamyour older brother.”
Ezra snorted softly in disbelief.Rude.
“Icantake care of myself.”
The look she gave me said she absolutely did not believe that statement, but it didn’t change the facts.
“Bad things are going to happen,” I continued more quietly.
This time, she nodded because we both knew it was true, and that was exactly why she was terrified.
As far as the others were concerned, she had more faith. She was confident that if they lost someone they loved, they would pull through. With me… She had seen me crumble, and she was extremely wary about it happening again.
“And I know exactly what you’re afraid of.” I watched her shoulders tighten before I even finished speaking.
“You think if something happens to her, I’ll lose myself again.” I rubbed a hand over my jaw and let the truth sit between us instead of dodging it. “And maybe I will.”
Ezra’s eyes flicked away at the admission, like hearing it out loud physically hurt.
“But,” I continued, leaning forward slightly, “I’ll come back.” That got her attention again.
“I’ll always come back to this family.” My voice lowered. “To the Syndicate. Toyou.” The muscles in her face softened little by little while I held her gaze. “And I know that because you’re my strong sister, the one that would never let me break completely.”
Ezra dropped back into her chair heavily, one hand dragging down her face before she sighed, her head tilted toward the ceiling like the universe itself had become exhausting.
“God, this is not what I wanted to emotionally process today.”
A grin tugged at my mouth. “Well, tough luck.”
Her eyes rolled, but the corner of her lips twitched despite herself.
“You do know I’m happy for you, right?” she asked quieter this time.
Her head tilted while she looked at me, worry and love tangled together so tightly in her expression that they were impossible to separate.
“Really.” She pressed her lips together before continuing. “If you’re happy… and Rack’s happy… then I’m happy.”
Then her shoulders sagged again. “But I’m still terrified.” Suddenly, I didn’t see the Syndicate leader sitting in front of me anymore.
I saw the tiny baby girl who used to wrap her whole hand around one of my fingers and refuse to let go. The kid who followed me through the halls like my shadow. The teenager who stood beside me through every fight, always having my back.
The woman who dragged me out of the darkest period of my life piece by piece when I couldn’t do it myself.
Every word she said came from love. I knew that better than anyone.
